Electric illuminating device



Nov. 15, 1932. J. BLOCK ELECTRIC ILLUMINATING DEVICE Filed Feb. 11, 1931 w PAVE? INVENTOR. M m

a 24 TTORNEY Patented Nov. 15, 1932 i g I p I i l Application filed February 11, 1931-. sem no. 515,022.

This invention relates to electric lillumi- Fig.3a is a transverse cross-sectional view nating devices such as signs, display devices of the lensshown in Fig. 3'; 1 and the like articles. 4 i Flg. 4 1s a View similar to Fig. 3 but illus- An object of this invention is to provide trating another lens; c v v v 5 in a device of the character described having era is a transverse cross-sectional view 5 an electric lamp or series of lamps, meanstor of the lens shown in Fig.4 I giving the lamp bulbs a distorted appearance 7 Fig 5 is a view similar toFig. 3 but illuswhereby highly attractive andnovel visual trating still another lens;and I effects may be obtained with the use ofuordi- Fig. 5a is a transverse cross-sectional view nary lamps, for example, miniature lamps of the lens shown in Fig. 5. I 69 ha i g ou d bulb V or V i Fig. 6 is an elevational, cross-sectional view A further obj ectof this invention is to pro? of a display unit embodying the invention vide a unitary electric illuminating unit in here shown in the form of a sign element 'de's; the form of a letterof the alphabet, number, ignating the numeral 1 or the letter I 15 or other display element of definite config- Fig. 7 is a front elevational view of the uration, employing ordinary electric lamps -T f rq h Wn in Fig. 6; and havingmeans for changing the 'appear- Flg. 8 lsatop plan View of a'bulband lens ance or visual shape of the-lamp bulbs whereadapted to produce an apparent flattened, by a more or less continuous, comparatively elongated shape to a lamp bulb; thin line of light having the shape of thedis- Fig. 9 is a cross-sectional view taken on 79' play element may be produced. I 3 line 99 of Fig. 8; and p v Another object of this invention is to p'ro- IFig.'-l0\ is a fr n elevational e (if the vide a neat, compact and rugged construcstructure shown in1Fig.,8., I c p tion ofthe character described, comprising Rei'erring'now in detail to the drawing, 10 comparatively few. and simple parts Which designates an electrically illuminated device shall be relatively inexpensive and easy to embodying the inventiomhere shown in the manufacture in a large variety of shapes and f rm of a Sign wherein the sign element's'are forms and which shall be attractive in apilluminated by a lighting unit. Said device pearance and withal practice and efiicient comprises a front board or wall 11 having to a high-degree. I i spaced sign or display elements 12 and 13 c Other objects of the invention will in part adapted to be illuminated by an intermediate be obvious and in part hereinafter pointed illuminating unit ll. Said unit ll comprises out. 7 i a row ot screw shell sockets15 embedded The invention accordingly consists in the within said wall 11 and electrically connected features of construction, combinations of eleto each other in any suitable manner (not 3 ments andarrangement of parts whichwill shown) I Received within-thesockets 15 are be exemplified in theconstruction hereinafter electric lamps 16 having bulbs 17 For the d ib d d f which the scope of applicapurpose of illustration, the lamps 16 are tion'will be indicated in the following claims. shown to be miniature decorative lamps hav- In the accompanying drawing, in which ingsmall round colored orfrostedbulbs, and is shown one of the various possible illustrathe soc ts are pr b y ire in se ies t tive embodiments of this invention, produce a low voltage across each lamp. Fig. 1 is a front elevational view .ofthe The lamps 16 may be spaced from one an sign embodying myinvention'; other so that when the lamps 16 are illumi- Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken on nated, a person observin the' mp i line 2-2 of Fig. 1; ,7 j front of the device 10 would ordinarily see a Fig. 3 is aside elevationalview of a lens pluralityoi spaced illuminated colored'circuand showing a bulb behind the lens in dotted lar'areas. Means is provided, however, for lines and the apparent shape of the bulb as distorting the apparent shape of the illumiseen through said lens'in fulllines; 'nated bulbs 17 so that a person looking at the front of the sign instead of seeing a plurality of spaced circular illuminated portions will see illuminated portions having a difi'erent shape, for example, a plurality of aligned thin illuminatedportions giving an efiect oi continuity, simulating or approaching a single elongated line of light; I

To this"e'nd there is attached to the "front of the device 10 an opaque member 20 comprising curved, spaced portions 21 and 22 formed with an elongated slot or opening '23 between them. The member *20 '-is spaced from and covers the lamps 16 so that the lamps may be seen only throughsaid slot or opening 23. Attached to the inner'side o f thecurvedportion'21 a nd22, in any suitable manner, are walls QFand 25 for reflectin'g light fromthe lamps 16 upwardly and downwardly, respectively, :JCQ illuminate the sign ele1nents"1:2and13. Fixed within the openingor slot 23is' alen's 28made ofglass or "any other suitable material here shown in the form of an'elongated tubeoi-glass. The leiis 28" isa'd'apte'd toc'hange tlie' apparent shape of the illuniinatedbulbs 17*so that' a person looking through the "lens, instead of'seeingroundlbulbs'will see'a series of fiatt'ned orthinned lines oilig'ht, whereby the visual shapeof the series of illuminated circles is changed from a series ofspaced discs oflight to a series of thin aligned portions of light simulatinganelongatedline of light. Theremay befmounted'within the tube 28,

i a core or rod 29 which inaybe'se'en through 1 served shape of an electric lamp having =a round biilb. The lens 40 isroundin tr'ansverse crossl se ction' for "flattening the apparfem shape of the bulb, and is also curved'lontlie'le'n's andacts as a' connector between the illuminated portions, and also serves tobreak up theapparently illuminated portions of each lamp into two: parallel lines of light.

The lens 28 may be colored'ontransparent Or translucent, may be cylindrical or in fact formed "with any "desirable cross-sectional shape to distort the appearance'oftheillumina'ted bulbs, in any desired manner. In Figs. '3, 4;, and 5, there are shown three dif- 'i erently shaped lenses for producingdiiferrod 30 for breaking the light into two paralfor merely distorting the apparent shap'e of "the bulbs. bu'lbs' ofa'ny shape may beused, and that by It will now be understood that proper"selecti'on of the lensa large variety 'of' appa'rentshapes maybe produced-whereby "highly attractive and novel "visual "efiec ts "mayf'be obtained.

In FigSQS, 9 and lOthere isshown a lens adapte -w both flatten and elongate the ob gitii'dinally for "elongating the apparent uous line having any desired shape or out- "linemay beproduc'ed. Obviously, sinuous or spottedlines-of-light may also be produced by properly selecting the lens.

InFigs. 6 and- 7 there is illustrated a complete display unit in the form of an illuminated sign element herershown aEor th-e purpose of 'illustrationyas :the :letter :L or -nu1n-, ber 1. The element l5 comprises a wall-46 made "of insulating material. Attached to the said w-alll46ds a1rear=wiall 47 spaced-there from; and mounted within the-said front wall are a 'plurality' ofspaced-lamp :sockets48'eleetriea'lly "connected, r-wired to ;one another "in any suitable manner, the-unit'being provided with a suitable outlet not shown) for v connecting the same to an electricrsource-ofpower or to other similar 'units. Removably attached to said front walli4'6 in --a'ny.--suitable manner is 'atglass casing-47 a having :a front wall '48 overlying thewsockets 148. Attached to said sockets 48 are lamps 50 having :bulbs 51di-sposed within the casingr'm. "The-front wall 48 in accordance with my invention may 'be in i-tlie iorm "of 1a lens I adapted tO change the app'arent shape of the illuminated bulbs 51 to prodde -"for"fexample,za continuous line of light. I Lens =48awmaybe-formed *with a rear corrugated or; ribbed: :surfaceb52 for I'Jrodueing-a series of thinflines of light.

:lt' will now be r'se'en that': substantially'rany 5 letter ofthe falphabet or numberwonthel like si'gn e'lement' may be made up as a-unit'zand thata number of such units-may .beassemble'd together toform a single-sign having various words, numbers or other elementsthereon.

rilthough-the' :drawingshoWs sign "elements or 'di'splay devices, myninvention maybe. embodied in display lamps or fixtures or other illuminating devices; it being a dominant fea- --ture of "my invention tor'distort the apparent "shape ofthe il lumina-ted areasiso that electric lamps such I as mini ature lamps having round --bul'bs, "may bevemplo'yeda and the ::app arent shapes thereof bhangediorvdistorted,to (produce highly attractive-and: decorative visual effects, for example continuous lines particularly suitable for signs and: hence obviating the need for tubularlamps.

It will thus be seen :that. therewis; provided 1 a device in which the-several objects of this invention are achieved and 'whichmis well adapted to meet the conditions of: practical use.

As various possible embodiments might 'be changes might be madein the embodiment above set forth, it is to be understood that all matter herein set forth or shown in the accompanying drawing is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described Patent:

1. A display device comprising a support,

a row of lamp sockets mounted thereon, lamps V and an elongated lens superimposed over said row of lamps,

attached to said sockets,

said lens being of irregular shape in crosssection and longitudinall 2. A display device comprising a-support,

a row of lamp sockets mounted thereon, lamps attached to said sockets, and an elongated lens superimposed over said row of lamps, a portion of said lens being corrugated.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

JOSEPH BLOCK.

my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters 

